Light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) are sometimes used in lighting fixtures as an alternative to more traditional light sources. When used in such fixtures, the LEDs are typically mounted on, and electrically connected to, a printed circuit board (“PCB”). Metal-core PCBs (“MCPCB”) (also known as integrated metal substrates (“IMS”)) are sometimes used in such applications. A MCPCB includes a metal (e.g., aluminum) base (as opposed to the traditional fiberglass base) onto which a dielectric layer is applied. A layer of copper is positioned on top of the dielectric layer. The LEDS are positioned on the copper layer, which acts as a circuit layer for electrical connections.
Metal core blanks (i.e., onto which the traces are created during fabrication and onto which the components are placed during assembly) are available in only a few predetermined sizes, such as 18 inches by 24 inches. These available sizes oftentimes are not compatible with the dimensions or design of the lighting fixtures in which the MCPCBs will be used. Rather, incorporation of a board in a fixture often requires that the dimensions of the board be tailored to accommodate the dimensions of the lighting fixture. Most commonly, this requires that portions of the board be trimmed away, resulting in waste of the board material.
By way only of example, MCPCBs may be used in recessed dome-shaped fixtures. The fixtures generally require use of a ring-shaped PCB with the LEDs arranged in a circle along the board. To create such a board, the excess material is removed during fabrication to create a circular PCB. The LEDs are mounted on the board in a circle. In some cases, over half of the surface area of the pre-formed metal-core board is discarded, and thus wasted, as a result of this process.